Ezekiel 3:9

(Verse 8, 9.) Behold, I have made your face stronger than their faces, and your forehead harder than their foreheads. I have made your face like diamond and flint. Do not fear them or be afraid of their presence, for they are a rebellious house." And He said to me, "The house of Israel has a stubborn and defiant forehead, and their heart is as hard as scorpions. Therefore, I have given you an extremely firm countenance and a forehead that cannot be ashamed. From this, we learn that sometimes it is a grace of God to resist impudence, and when circumstances demand it, to confront face-to-face. This, however, is attributed so that our modesty and human decency do not fear the snares of adversaries.

But what is a sinner except one who is wounded? And what is a preacher except a physician? If therefore the sinner who lies in his wound is not ashamed, why should the physician be ashamed who provides healing through medicines? Often indeed it happens that a preacher is listened to reverently; but sometimes he is so despised by the perverse as if he were speaking nothing useful to them. Hence it is rightly said now: "I have made your face like adamant and like flint." Both diamond and flint are hard; but one of them is precious, the other worthless. The diamond is taken for adornment, the flint is trodden underfoot by travelers. And it often happens that when we observe those who receive our correction too humbly, we are ashamed to say certain things to them. But sometimes it happens that when we see those who disregard and hold in contempt our rebuke, we are afraid to bring them the word of preaching. But if we think rightly, we take up the authority of exhortation or rebuke both toward those by whom we observe ourselves to be honored, and toward those by whom we see ourselves to be despised, so that we ought neither to blush at the humility of the former, nor to fear the pride of the latter. Let it therefore be said: "I have made your face like diamond," that is, if you are honored by your hearers; "I have made your face like flint," if you are trampled upon and despised by your hearers, so that neither through honor conferred may the tongue be restrained by shame, nor through contempt may it be silent from weakness.

"Fear them not, neither be afraid at their face, for they are a rebellious house." This has already been said above. But it should be noted how harsh a house is held to be, whose harshness is repeated so frequently. Therefore the sinner must be rebuked and never feared, because it is a provoking house. For a man ought to have been feared if he himself had feared the Author of all things as a man should.

When vice is daring let not virtue be sneaking. And, when God has work to do, he will animate men for it and give them strength according to the day. If there be occasion, God can and will by his grace make the foreheads of faithful ministers as an adamant, so that the most threatening powers shall not dash them out of countenance.

Adamant - Or, diamond Jer 17:1, which was employed to cut flint. Ezekiel’s firmness being that of a diamond, he should cut a stroke home to the hardened hearts of a rebellious people. For “though” read “for.”